I have a new place that I really want to go: Fairbanks AK, to see the Northern Lights. Right around my birthday is one of the best times to go. I don�t know if I want to spend my 30th birthday all by myself in the Yukon, though. It seems equal parts liberating and depressing. I still want to go to Isla Holbox too. I need to get some money together so I can do these things. I need to prioritize. The AK trip will probably cost around $800, all told, and Mex will be around $400-500. Maybe a bit more if I go during whale shark season, which I really, really want to do. That one is cheaper simply because everything is cheaper in Mexico, but more expensive in Alaska. The airfare is about the same. I can stay in hostels in Alaska, but renting a car will be a must and it�s actually really hard to get compact cars, most places I saw online only have trucks and SUVs. That�s probably good, though, since it is very likely there will be at least a little bit of snow by the end of September and I don�t have a ton of snow driving experience.

I like having travel goals. I love planning trips. Now I need to just get off my duff and go on one or two. I really need to get out of Dodge for a while. I�ve been feeling it for a while and the itch is getting stronger due to recent events. Nothing can be done, however, until I save up some money and get through the run of Grown Up show. I have signed on to do a bit of scenic painting for a theater group in Los Altos, so maybe that can be my seed money. As long as I don�t spend it on stupid things like Starbucks and dresses that don�t fit very well.

I had a very strange dream last night. James Lipton from Inside the Actors� Studio was in it. We had to go to his house before this very swank dinner for some reason and he kept trying to get himself invited along. It was very socially awkward.

It has been stupid cold here lately; colder than most of the winter at times. I keep reading about all these record high temperatures all over the globe, and as much as I know they are bad news ecologically I can�t help but think �man, why can�t we have that here?� I�m just very tired of my winter coat. At least if it was raining it would be a bit warmer, but no, no rain. The worst part is, it�ll be nice and sunny and warm for a day or two then back to bitter cold, like the nice weather is just a tease. I generally am not a huge fan of hot weather or too much sun, I burn just thinking about the sun, but I�m done with the frigid bus stop in the morning. Also, I want to wear skirts. I have cute skirts now but it is way too cold and windy to wear them, even with tights.

Time to go home now.